Mission Possible: Know and Use Your Company Mission Statement from the Start!The world works better when we know our mission. What do you want to settle at your parent eacher conference? If you're running for a public office, what do you want to take on as your cause? If you are spending money and time and worry to start your own business, ask yourself why. The passion you use in answering that question will give you a clue to your mission statement. It defines your purpose! Lots of companies still operate under the single purpose that drove a founder to start the company long ago. L.L. Bean has not only survived, but thrived by adhering to Leon Leonwood Bean's mission set in 1912. He formulated it based on his passion for the outdoors, a profound belief in honesty, and an unwavering commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. That has defined the business for 89 years! The greatest mistake companies make is to forget what their mission is. It makes things foggy, undefined, confusing. Principles and policies, and more importantly marketing materials, can get formulated according to department manager whims. How can your company message stick in the minds of your target audience if you don't know it yourself? Once you determine your company mission, it should play a part in every business decision you make. Case Study: Buyers United, Salt Lake City, Utah, founded 1986 In operating like a coop, or buying collective, the company would set out to get reduced rates on services like long distance telephone and Internet service. As the membership increased and so did the company's buying power, more services would be added to the menu. The mission statement was set at the very first meeting, in the owner's living room, where he and 17 friends gathered to discuss the idea for starting such a company. Company Mission: "Our mission is to deliver high quality, essential goods and services at the lowest price, and to help our members save money, lower their cost of living, and elevate their quality of life." The statement was printed onto large framed posters and displayed clearly throughout the offices. Telephone salespeople understood the company mission from day one. The sales representatives explained the mission, or "cause" to join forces in order to save, to potential new members. The mission was the foundation of the total marketing effort. The company motto "Joining Forces to Cut Prices" was included under the logo at all times. From the new member welcome kit to phone cards to brochures and even to personal letters from the president, the mission was emphasized. Sales letters were often signed, "United we save" and "Let's go forward in partnership!" In the monthly newsletter to members articles emphasized how many times since its inception the company had pushed for and gotten rate drops. Persuasive sentences emphasizing the company mission were worked into copy. A popular one was, "We're a group of consumers like you, organized to demand great rates on the services we all need." Brand new members, excited about the company's mission, were interviewed, as well as long term members who had earned substantial rebates for referring others to the company. That helped the company multiply and achieve ongoing success. And that was made possible, largely because the take-action, cause-related mission statement had been repeatedly and effectively communicated to members since the company's inception! Note: Buyers United changed its name to BuyersOnline.com. About the author: Lisa Lake shares her ability to communicate through good writing with anyone who wants to learn. See her free tips at http://MyAdBlaster.com and catch advice from the staff at http://InternetWriters.com Quick turnaround on writing from classified ads to ezines and ebooks. Reach Lisa at lisa@drnunley.com or 801-328-9006.Read similar articles: How To Fail... Faster Then a Speeding Bullet!An Introduction to Viral Marketing Ideas to Create Own Work At Home Online Business Product Experience the Strange and Twisted World of Internet Cafes Build and Maintain Websites For Profit How to be Successful Working at Home Sell More of Everything Help Your Visitors Remember You with Buddy Icons Web Design Contract 10 Blazing Ways To Sky-Rocket Your Profits bułgaria wakacje praca w anglii milf wakacje hiszpania sylwester
|